Steamed/Sauteed Dim Sum Dumplings

These can be time consuming to assemble (I often make huge batches and freeze them for easy steaming later). They’re super delicious and really addicting.

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 (8 count)

Prep Time: About an hour   Cook Time: 7-12 minutes  

Ingredients

2 carrots
1 med red onion
3/4 c cabbage
2 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 squirt lemon juice
1 tsp favorite hot sauce
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1 lb ground turkey
1 package ready made won-ton wrappers

Directions

First, finely mince carrots, onions, cabbage and garlic, then add to a sauce pot and sweat over medium heat in a bit of olive oil for three to five minutes. I like to add a pinch of salt at this point to draw out some moisture.

After vegetables soften slightly, add the hot sauce and soy sauce, allowing vegetables to cook in the mixture for a bit longer, about another three to five minutes.

At this point, I like to pour the hot vegetable mixture into a bowl, cover it, and let it sit overnight in the fridge so I don’t have as much to do the next day. If that’s not feasible, let the mixture cool as much as possible before mixing with the raw turkey so it doesn’t partially cook it. Plus it’ll hurt when you hand mix it all.

To finish the filling, finely mince the parsley and cilantro and mix in with cooled veg. Add lemon last. Then mix it all with the ground turkey.

To assemble the dumplings, spoon a small amount into the center of each wrapper, dampening the edges with a wet paper towel (I’ve found this to be the easiest way, just dampen a paper towel and wipe it along the edges of the pasta square). Then fold two of the corners together to make a triangle. Take the other two corners and fold into the center, making a little square shaped pouch, with all the corners folded into the center. It may take a few tries to get it down as the pasta can be delicate.

I prefer mine steamed in my rice cooker attachment for about 7 minutes, but you could easily steam these in a veg steamer, or even sautee in a bit of butter. I love to freeze the leftovers and pop them in the steamer for a satisfying and easy meal. They generally take 7 minutes when cooked fresh, and slightly longer when directly from the freezer (about 12 minutes).

Makes 48 individual dumplings (I eat about 8 per serving if I’m having just them). You could also deep fry these, but I’ve never tried it.

Or perhaps substitute chopped tofu for a vegetarian variety, or use pork for a more traditional dumpling.

Categories: Appetizers & Snacks, Budget, Crowd-Size, Freezing, Holiday, Kid-Friendly, Other Side Dishes, Potluck

Submitted by: lindsay on October 8, 2010